Rocky Hill Democrats logo - a kicking donkey

Category: Local

  • Three ways to fight back in March

    Three ways to fight back in March

    Trump and national Republicans are taking a hammer to our institutions – Medicaid, USAID, and the FBI, just to name a few. Many of us are feeling restless. What can we do to protect ourselves, our community, and our democracy?

    Change will come when we take action. Below are 3 tools highlighted by CTDems to communicate, organize, and support candidates.

    Please share this article with anyone who may find it useful.

    Expose the harm Medicaid cuts would have on Connecticut residents 

    A graphic showing medicaid recipients in Connecticut by District. In the west, a dark blue district shows 210,000 people who are enrolled in Medicaid
    Medicaid Enrollment in Connecticut
    Source: the CTDems Medicaid Reliance by Congressional District Dashboard

    CTDems have put developed a Medicaid Reliance Dashboard to show where Republican proposed cuts to Medicaid will hurt people, if they aren’t stopped.

    Click HERE to see the Dashboard. (CTDems will soon offer a dashboard for SNAP benefits as well.)

    Learn to Organize

    If you’re itching to take action, you don’t have to start from scratch. CTDems maintains an online guide with how to mobilize within local Democratic parties, activist groups, and interest groups. It also provides links to get trained on everything from running for office to organizing protests.

    Click HERE to read the CTDems Activist Guide.

    Campaign Nationally

    We have an opportunity to make a difference in several critical elections.

    Special Elections

    Florida Special Elections candidates Gay Valimont (left) and Josh Weil

    Help mobilize voters in Florida for the HD1 and HD6 special elections on April 1st. The Dem candidates are Gay Valimont and Josh Weil. They organize with Mobilize.us , which is another fantastic tool to discover volunteer opportunities.

    On April 1, there will be a special election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The winning side will hold a four-to-three majority on the state high court. The court faces decisions on abortion, voting access, the state’s collective bargaining laws, and its congressional maps.

    Gubernatorial races

    There are two Gubernatorial races this November, one in New Jersey and one in Virginia. We have a real shot at winning BOTH and sending a clear message to the White House that voters are unhappy and unsupportive of the GOP agenda.

    Support Abigail Spanberger for Virginia HERE and Mikie Sherrill for New Jersey HERE.

    Follow Rocky Hill Democrats for more actions

    As your local democrats, we will continue to share Events and Actions you can take to make a difference nationally, at the state level, and right here at home in Rocky Hill.

    Stay informed by signing up for our newsletter, and reading the latest news.

    We will get through this together. 

    TJ

  • How does the Trump Administration’s new immigration policy impact Rocky Hill?

    How does the Trump Administration’s new immigration policy impact Rocky Hill?

    On January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration rescinded a policy that prevented imigration enforcement officers from operating in “sensitive areas” such as churches, hospitals, and schools. Many in Rocky Hill ask what this means for children in our school system. Rocky Hill Democrats believe that the people in our town should be informed of the policies of the school board and our police officers. Here is a description of how our schools and police say they will interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, or any federal immigration authority. 

    We aren’t providing legal advice: we are sharing the resources provided by state and local legal authorities.

    What is the law?

    Connecticut law defines how state and local law enforcement will interact with federal immigration authorities. An important state law is the Trust Act, which was passed in 2013 and updated in 2019. The Connecticut Attorney General’s Office summarizes key parts of the Trust Act, which:

    • Prohibits law enforcement, bail commissioner or intake, assessment or referral specialists, or employees of a school police or security department, from unnecessarily sharing certain information with ICE unless required to do so by law;
    • Clarifies that local and state law enforcement are not required by law to arrest, transport, or detain people for ICE;
    • Prevents local and state agencies with detention facilities – like jails, courthouses, and prisons – from allowing ICE to roam their facilities;
    • Prevents law enforcement, bail commissioner or intake, assessment or referral specialists, or employees of a school police or security department from performing the functions of a federal immigration authority;

    How do Rocky Hill Police interact with ICE?

    In short, Rocky Hill Police cannot provide resources, information, or support to federal immigration authorities without a warrant signed by a judicial officer. 

    In the February 18th, 2025 Public Safety Commission meeting, Rocky Hill Police Chief Brian Klett reviewed a notice that Rocky Hill Police use as guidance for their interactions with federal immigration authorities. 

    This document explains:

    • State police can only provide support to federal immigration officers under specific conditions:
      • there is a judicial warrant for someone
      • they have been convicted of a felony, or 
      • they are a possible match on a terrorist watch list
    • Unless those conditions are met, the law prohibits Connecticut police officers from providing information, providing time or resources to communicate with ICE, and generally performing any function of a federal immigration authority.

    What access do ICE agents have to Rocky Hill Schools?

    Rocky Hill public schools cannot provide information about a student, allow federal immigration agents onto school grounds, or facilitate the arrest or detainment of a student without a warrant signed by a judicial officer. The warrant must be submitted to the school superintendent. If this warrant is provided, the school will facilitate the immigration officer’s actions. 

    To be clear; a federal immigration authority cannot enter a Rocky Hill School and apprehend a student or request information unless under the specific conditions listed above. Similarly, school resource officers cannot facilitate an ICE action without those conditions.

    On February 25, 2025, the Connecticut Legislature passed HB 7066, which among other things requires schools to adopt a policy like the one that Rocky Hill schools follow today. As of writing, the Department of Education is expected to issue guidance on how this policy will impact schools. This article will be updated.

    Immigrant communities deserve clarity and safety

    As Democrats, we oppose the Trump Administration’s decision to open “sensitive places” – including our schools, hospitals, and places of worship – for immigration officers to act. When the federal government treats immigrants as the enemy, even people with legal status can fear to let their children go to school, report a crime, or go to the doctor when they get sick. 

    Put simply by the National Immigration Law Center: 

    “Protecting sensitive locations from immigration enforcement is essential to ensuring all our community members can access basic services and support without fear—the policy’s rescission constitutes an attack on immigrant communities’ wellbeing and undermines safety for all.”

    Additional Resources